Celebrating Full Moons

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People have been celebrating Full Moons for thousands of years. There are tons of superstitions about the Full Moon. Some peeps think it's when people turn into werewolves, when accidents are more likely to happen, and when babies are more likely to be born. Crazy people are even called lunatics - a word that comes from the word "lunar, " which is a word that means "related to the Moon." Read on for the 411 on this monthly excuse to party!

What makes a Moon Full?

A Full Moon is when the entire moon is illuminated in the night sky. The Moon doesn't give off it's own light (it just reflects the Sun's), and the phases of the Moon depend on how the Earth, Sun and Moon line up. You get a Full Moon when the Earth isn't between the Sun and the Moon (and, therefore, the Earth doesn't cast a shadow on the Moon). This happens every 28 days. A Full Moon occurs two weeks after a New Moon, a week after the first Quarter Moon, and a week before the last Quarter Moon.

The Significance of the Full Moon

For pagans, the universe has the most magical energy during a full moon. Most Wiccans believe the Full Moon is the single best time to perform rituals or magic. They think the Full Moon can bring healing, transformation and prosperity. For explorers and sailors, the different phases of the moon were an important part of navigation.

Once in a Blue Moon

When peeps say something happens once in a Blue Moon, they mean that it doesn't happen very often but have you ever stopped to think what a Blue Moon is? A Blue Moon isn't actually blue. It occurs when there are two Full Moons in one month.